1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to wheelchairs for use by disabled persons. More particularly this invention relates to auxiliary attachments for wheel chairs that enable one to pull an occupied wheelchair along a path or a trail.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Although a variety of attachments for wheelchairs have been proposed, none would enable an occupied wheelchair to be pulled along a path or a trail such as would be required to take a disabled person hiking or camping. The conventional rearwardly-oriented handles designed to enable one to push or guide a wheelchair in front of him do not provide the kind of leverage or orientation to necessary for propelling an occupied wheelchair along a path or a trail. Moreover, none are adaptable to attachment to the front of a wheelchair so that the occupant could be pulled along rough terrain or to the rear of a wheelchair so that the occupant could be pushed along rough terrain.
In situations where the wheelchair occupant needs or desires an unobstructed front, such as when fishing, shooting, bird watching, viewing sports events, and so forth, where it would be awkward or very difficult to position the wheelchair by the convention rear handles, it would be desirable to have a system that could be adaptable to attachment to the rear of the wheelchair so that the occupant could be pushed into an appropriate location. Such a system should also be adaptable to attachment to the front of the wheelchair so that the occupant could be pulled over rough terrain to the vicinity where the wheelchair could be located and maneuvered from behind as needed. As an example, for skeet or trap shooting or for bank-fishing, the wheelchair would have to be positioned and relocated over the field depending and then maneuvered for just the right position on uneven terrain. The conventional wheelchair's rear handles would not provide adequate means for maneuvering the wheelchair due to inadequate leverage.